


Perfection...Isn't

by stelladelnordxd



Series: Jones and Cooper Detectives [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, episode changes, jughead/betty is already canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-23 22:51:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9685376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stelladelnordxd/pseuds/stelladelnordxd
Summary: Summer is over and school is starting. Betty has to tell Archie she's dating his best friend, but new girl Veronica makes that hard to do when everyone thinks Archy and her are 'endgame'. How will everyone's decisions effect their sophomore year? And when will Betty and Jughead tell everyone they're dating?





	

_"Our story is about a town. A small town. And the people who lived in the town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns, all over the world. Safe, decent, innocent. Get closer though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath. The name of our town, is Riverdale."_

_Tell me, you're my baby….._

* * *

 

The music is playing lightly in the background as Betty does her hair up and puts on a fresh coat of lipstick, rolling her eyes at a smirking Kevin. She looks at herself in the mirror her head tilted just a bit before she hears Kevin speaking and looks towards him.

"Are you excited? Nervous?" Kevin asks while clearly digging for information and Betty can't help but grin at herself in the mirror. She hasn't seen Archie all summer, and a _lot_ has changed since they last talked. When summer first began, Betty had believed she would spend the entire time wondering what her best friend was doing and thinking of ways to tell him how she felt about him. But then, only a few days into summer vacation and her internship, she bumped into someone she had completely forgotten about. And while she had spent a few days feeling guilty over forgetting said person, the friendship they shared turned into something more, and now ---

"Both," she finally answers while turning around and wearing a grin on her face. Her heart begins to race at the idea of seeing Archie, of telling him what's new in her life, "I haven't seen him all summer," she adds, wondering how her oldest friend will take the news.

"Which is why nerves are acceptable, but we agreed, Betty. It's time. Jughead and you have been dating nearly all summer, and now you can finally tell Archie about it," Kevin states and Betty wonder's if it could be that easy, if maybe she's just overthinking this. And if she _is_ overthinking this, then she knows that the moment she tells Juggie, he'll just give her a small smirk and a simple look, and she'll be exasperated with him – rather fondly exasperated, she thinks, before –

"Oh my god!"

"What?" Betty questions as she looks towards Kevin in confusion.

"Game changer! Archie got hot!" Kevin exclaims with a grin and Betty can't help but go to the window and look to see what Kevin means. She can briefly appreciate the fact that he suddenly has abs, but before long her mind is back on Juggy, and she ignores the rest of Kevin's sentence.

"Yoo-hoo,"she eventually hears and she looks back towards Kevin with an apologetic smile.

"You need to get going, or you're going to be late," He states and with a quick look at the time, Betty cringes and dashes for her bedroom door, opening her mouth to say goodbye.

"Girl, go. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

***

Pops' isn't far from her house, and since Archie lives right next to her, she knows it'll take him the same amount of time to get there, if not a little longer since he likes to doddle. Because of that, she doesn't actually head straight to Pop's, turning around on her block and heading to Juggie's, instead.

When she gets to his home, she's not surprised to find him sitting on the front steps, almost as if he was waiting for her and a small smirk on his face.

"So, you're off to face the music then?" The question is blunt but she doesn't mind, not when she sits next to him and he grabs her hand, interlacing their fingers together.

"Indeed," she answers with her own little smile as Jughead shakes his head. "You're nervous." The statement is put out there and Betty bites her lip before nodding.

"You guys are best friends. And we are best friends. And what if he –" She stops though when she feels Jughead's hand on her cheek, sighing.

"He's our friend. He'll find it weird at first but he'll accept it," Jughead states and she nods before remaining quiet, watching the stars with her head on his shoulder and his thumb stroking her hand.

She doesn't know how long they remain like that but eventually she can feel Juggie pulling away and she frowns, turning towards him.

"You should get going," he whispers, leaning forward to rest his forehead on hers. She smiles once more, feeling completely at ease before pulling away herself.

"Do you want me to come by after?" The question is soft and she waits patiently, knowing that sometimes Juggie just needs time to himself.

"Nah, it's ok." Is his response and she nods before kissing the top of his nose with a grin and stepping away so he's unable to retaliate.

"See you tomorrow, then," she giggles before making her way to Pops' for real.

* * *

 

"So, what was the highlight?" Archie asks and she looks down, unable to stop the grin from appearing on her face.

"Of my internship? Or of my summer?" She wants him to ask of her summer, because she knows that she'd respond with "Dating Juggie," but instead, all she hears is "Of your internship, of course," like there should be no other answer in the world.

"The Toni Morrison book release party I organized, by far," she states with a smile on her face while remembering how crazy she was during that day and how it was Jughead that got her through. She had been so busy running around that day, trying to figure out how to do something and went to do it that she knows, if it hadn't been for Juggie, she would've gone mad.

"At the end of the night, Toni Morrison, who is, as you know, my literary hero, says to me, 'don't rush this time Betty. It goes by so fast at your age. One summer can change everything.'" She finishes with a grin. She knows it's not the same as being there, but she also knows it'll lead into what she wants to talk about, since Jughead and her had been talking before her hero had come up to them and he had seen something between them that not even they had seen yet.

"Wow. Wow, yeah, that's….so true," Archie says and she can't help but grin and nod enthusiastically. She opens her mouth to go into why she wanted to meet, but instead, ends up asking him how working for his dad was.

"It was…pouring concrete. All day. Every day. All day long." He states and Betty's smile diminishes, recognizing how boring that would be for her friend. She listens as he mentions passing the time by writing down poems and it takes her a few moments to comprehend what he just said, before –

"You don't even like poetry." She has no tact in that statement, and she's going to blame the fact that she spends so much of her time around Jughead now.  Archie doesn't seem to notice though, continuing on by talking about how they were song lyrics. She slowly begins actually listening to him, knowing Archie will call her out on it otherwise. She ends up chuckling slightly before asking a bunch of questions, knowing she's coming off strong but in the end.

"Also, I have been thinking about friendships, Archie, and there is something I need to---" she trails off, realizing abruptly that Archie's attention is no longer on her and she briefly finds herself frowning before looking to her side and noticing another female there, talking to Pop. The female's pretty, and clearly from out of town and when she hears the last name of 'Lodge,' Betty realizes this is the peer she'll be peer mentoring come tomorrow. She feels a little awkward during the conversation, not sure what to say and stumbling over her words, still wanting to talk to Archie and absolutely confused when he laughs at a joke she knows he doesn't understand. Once Archie introduces her though, she turns towards the female and smiles, already knowing what'll happen.

"Are you…"

"Supposed to give you your tour tomorrow? Yes. I'm your peer mentor," she says with a disbelieving shake of her head, looking down

"Do you wanna join us?" Archie asks and Betty hopes and prays that Veronica says no, that the new girl leaves them be so Betty can tell Archie her other piece of news. She gives Archie another look as he continues talking, not that he notices, but she finds herself letting loose a breath of relief when Veronica says her mom is waiting. She watches Archie for a few moments with a smile on her face and she realizes that maybe – maybe now isn't the time to tell him.

"What were you saying?" She should tell him. She _wants_ to tell him. But he probably wouldn't hear her, he never did.

"Nothing," she admits before standing up. "I'm actually getting tired so I'm going to walk home." She finishes with another soft smile, fastening her sweater up as Archie stands.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" He asks, and the question is nice. Three months ago, she would've jumped at the chance to have Archie walk her home. But now, she hears that statement and only thinks of Juggie.

"No thanks," she responds, another smile on her face before leaving.

* * *

 

By the time she makes it to her home and says goodnight to her disapproving mother and lackadaisical father, it's a half hour past the time she's usually in bed and she's unable to contain her yawns. She's just ready to get into her bed clothes and fall to sleep but she jumps a little when she notices Juggie on her bed. Putting her hand to her heart, she shakes her head before closing the still opened door and dragging her feet to the bed, falling on top of it and snuggling up to her boyfriend.

"So…. You didn't tell him," he says after moments of silence and Betty doesn't stop the small giggle from escaping. She shifts her body for a moment, nudging Jughead's feet so hers are in between his before sighing in content.

"Archie was distracted by the new girl," she whispers with her eyes closing while she begins to fall asleep to the comforting feeling of Juggie's fingers stroking her arm in an up and down motion.

"Tomorrow, then?" He asks, and Betty knows he's not as heartbroken and torn up about not letting Archie know that they're together, that he doesn't mind that it's just them that know.

"Mhm," she hums, kissing her collarbone briefly before falling into a deep sleep.

***

The next morning arrives with birds tweeting and the sun shining directly in her face, causing her to groan and hide it within the body she's practically on top of. She feels a moment of guilt before she looks up and sees Juggie smiling down at her, and that moment of guilt vanishes.

"Hi," she whispers.

"Morning," he responds, moving to kiss the top of her head. She smiles at him before sitting up and stretching, letting out a yawn as she does so.

"What time are you leaving?" She asks? She knows her Mom will come bounding in at some point, and her Mom will be furious if she founds out Jughead stayed the night – their relationship already not going well since her Mom doesn't like anyone – but she wants to have her boyfriend stay just a little bit longer.

When Jughead looks at his phone and cringes, she looks at her own before her eyes widen and they get off of the bed.

"I'll see you later, okay?" He states before stepping close and fitting his mouth over hers, tongue seeking entrance for just a moment before breaking away. Betty nods her head and tries not to stare off like a goof, always still surprised when they kiss.

Jughead pauses halfway out her window, turning back to her with his own little smirk.

"And hey, if I don't see you today – at least you'll remember me, if that grin is anything to go by," he adds with a wink before leaving, causing Betty to giggle and get ready for her first day before it fades into a grunt of frustration when her mother enters her bedroom and begins talking about college applications.

"You missed curfew last night," her mother states and she sighs, shaking her head.

"By seven minutes. And I was with Archie last night, who has red hair, yes, but—"

"We both know you weren't with Archie the entire night." Her mother states and she frowns, shaking her head.

"I just need you to be smart, okay?" Her mother asks and she finds herself nodding, a fake smile plastered on her face as she mentally jots down another thing she needs to be for her mother.

"And stay focused. I refilled your Adderall. Seems like you forgot to pick up your prescription," her mother finishes before closing her bedroom door as Betty sighs and places the drug on her desk, following after her mother to go to school.

* * *

 

"Hey there darling!" Betty hears and she turns around and spots Kevin, hugging him hello when he finally arrives to her locker.

"How did last night go?" He asks, and she's about to respond before Jughead comes up and does it for her.

"She never told him," he states and she sighs, looking over at Jughead with a smirk.

"I hate you," she laughs while Kevin snorts.

"Lies," Jughead responds in kind before placing his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. "When do you have to go meet the new girl?"

"Right before the final bell for first rings," Betty responds while placing her head on Jughead's shoulder.

"Perfect. Walk me to class then?" He asks while arching his eyebrow and Betty can't help the chuckle that escapes before she locks their arms together.

"Sickening," Kevin grins as Betty tells him she'll see him in a few moments. The two slowly walk to Jughead's first class of the day – writing -- before pausing outside of the doorway, staring at one another silently before Jughead smiles tensely.

"I feel like some big things are going to happen to us," he whispers, caressing Betty's cheek as she frowns.

"Well, if something big does happen, at least we'll have one another," she adds as he nods.

"See you later?"

"Definitely," she whispers before giving him a quick kiss and backing away, not wanting to look away from him. Eventually, he smiles softly and walks into the doorway and with one final sigh, Betty heads to the office.

***

"So, I usually start off my tours with a little history and context. Riverdale High first opened its in 1941 and—" Betty states before chuckling softly at Veronica's interruption. She looks away for a few moments, hearing Veronica a little bit in her one side before chuckling again.

"So what's the social scene like here? Any nightclubs?"

"A strip club called the Ho Zone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo," Kevin states before continuing onwards with what tends to happen on Friday nights and the parking situation at the Mal-Mart before continuing on to Saturday and Sunday, causing Betty to chuckle at her friend.

"Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller. Veronica's new here, Kevin is—"

"Gay, thank god. Let's be best friends," Veronica interrupts and Betty smirks lightly before looking at her friend in disappointment over his next question, giving him _the_ look before curiosity beats at her and she looks over towards Veronica.

"That he's the devil incarnate? I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" Veronica questions, crossing her arms as Betty nods, feeling awkward and chastised. She remains quiet, squinting her eyes in the way she knows how to before looking at Kevin again and chasing after the new girl, stopping when Veronica spots Archie.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Veronica asks with a delicious look in her eyes while Betty smiles fondly.

"No, we're just friends—"

"No, he's straight." Betty looks over to Kevin and Veronica with a chuckle.

"In that case, mind putting in a word? I've tried every flavor of boy but orange." Veronica asks and Betty's about to agree before Kevin interrupts.

"Actually, to clarify; Betty and Archie aren't dating, but they are endgame." Betty looks to Kevin with confusion and frustration on her face, throwing her hands up a little bit, knowing that's not true and knowing Kevin knows that since he's the only one who knows about Juggie and her.

"You should ask him to the semi-formal, then," Veronica states and Betty grunts, absolutely frustrated by now, letting the conversation flow to the topic of Jason Blossom and the assembly, which they slowly make their way to.

* * *

 

As the assembly begins, Betty can't help but look around for Jughead, smiling lightly when she finally finds him. She's not surprised that he looks confused nor that he tilts his head at her, knowing something is wrong, but she just shakes her head and he nods. She'll go to him when she's ready, and they both know that. Briefly, Betty wonders if maybe there was something more between Cheryl and Jason before cringing the thought away.

The assembly itself is quick and the hoard of students making a beeline towards the exit is expected, so Betty stays back, smiling at a standing Veronica and confused Kevin.  It doesn't take long for the trio to make their escape and Betty smiles softly as they pass Jughead and he places his palm on her back momentarily while they're caught up in a crowded line out the door.

They all have different classes right now and if anything, Betty wishes she at least had class with Juggie, but once the condensed crowd spreads a bit more, they finally have to go their separate ways.

"So, I'll see you at lunch, then?" Veronica asks while Betty nods and watches her leave.

"You okay, Betty?" Kevin asks and Betty looks at her friend with slightly disappointment.

"If this is about what I said earlier, I'm sorry—" Kevin begins only to be interrupted by the bell. "Truly. See you at lunch." He adds before running towards his own class.

"What did Kevin say?" She hears and she jumps slightly before smiling at Jughead and shaking her head.

"He just made a comment that frustrated me." She eventually responds, knowing he'll want more. If his eyebrows and face are anything to go by—

"Obviously. What did he say?" He asks once more, stepping close and caressing her forearm as she sighs. She knows telling him will just add to his insecurities, but not telling him will make it worse and that's one thing she doesn't want.

"That, 'Archie and Betty were endgame'," she states with a huff and a roll of her eyes.

"Ouch." Jughead responds with a grin, though it's not his normal, "Well, you clearly don't feel that same way as Kevin, so I have nothing to worry about." He adds, leaning forward to give her a soft kiss.

"I'll see you later?" She asks when he pulls away and he does give her a true grin this time.

"Of course."

* * *

 

It's lunch time now, and she's sitting next to Archie and in front of Kevin, listening to the song he wrote and played. It's a good son – great, even. She's surprised to find that it even resonates with her, that she thinks about Jughead when she hears it playing. She's a little taken aback when Veronica asks if she can join, inviting her to do so right away before responding to her question and smiling at Veronica's response.

"No, it's great," she responds to Archie, a little surprised that he thinks differently. She watches Veronica as she talks, turning towards Archie when he says something and then back to Veronica before noticing Cheryl and looking down.

She also finds herself rolling her eyes at Kevin talking about her and Archie, giving him another look asking why he's pushing the issue, knowing she's with Jughead. She ignores the conversation around her, eating her food instead and focusing on what she'll do with Jughead at Pops' later before noticing Cheryl and hissing at her two friends, panic flaring through her.

She's a little confused at Cheryl's entrance, and the fact that Cheryl's sitting next to her but not at all surprised when she's pushed to the side or hearing her best friend getting barbed over stereotypes that are not at all true. She shares a look with Kevin, food in her mouth as she swallows it down before sighing softly when Veronica mentions she's trying out too.

She knows how this is going to go. She feels slightly self-conscious when Cheryl looks down at her plate, but she tries not to let it show, tries not to let any insecurities appear once more, pressing her nails deep into her palm under the picnic table in the guise of holding them. She has to stop herself from completely crying at the past insecurities brought up, instead talking about how she'd love to be a cheerleader but Cheryl's never let her.

She tries not to cringe as Kevin brings up exactly what Cheryl called her, tries not to cringe as she fake-laughs, shifting uncomfortably and scoffing when he denies it and Veronica calls it a lie. She's slightly in disbelief when Veronica suggests helping her prep, that she has moves, and she thinks about it briefly.

She's always wanted to be a Riverdale Vixen. And Jughead always tells her to go after what she wants.

"Okay, you know what?" She says, bringing her apple up to her mouth briefly before continuing, "show me your moves." She finishes, biting her apple and smiling after a few moments when Veronica grins.

"Will do." She chuckles and Betty smiles, spotting Juggie and grinning.

"I'll see you guys later, okay?" She says before standing up and heading towards Jughead, slipping her hand into his.

"Have a better morning?" He questions with a soft smile and a squeeze of her hand.

"Slightly, yes," she grins. Her grin only widens when Jughead eyes her suspiciously, tilting his head in thought.

"What has you so happy?" He asks softly, stopping in front of her locker so she can grab her books, which she does.

"I'm going to try out for cheerleading again," She states, grin still in place as Jughead chuckles. They're quiet for a few minutes as they walk down the hall before Jughead turns to her.

"Just remember, you don't have to be perfect, alright?" He reminds and she nods at him with a small smile on her face, squeezing his hand before walking into class.

"I'll see you at Pops'?" She asks in the doorway and he nods, waving goodbye before making his way to his own class.

* * *

 

Before Betty even realizes it, she's quickly learning some moves from Veronica, the day having gone by superfast after lunch. The moves are easily learned, since this isn't Betty's first try out and she watches nervously as girl after girl moves to stand in front of Cheryl and her two best friends, attempting their own try outs.  She briefly notices Jughead in the corner and smiles, feeling calmer already before going up next to Veronica and doing the routine they practiced. It flies by, and Betty feels like she made mistakes, but she doesn't get a moment to think.

"Hm. Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?" Cheryl questions and Betty opens and closes her mouth a few times, noticing Veronica looking at her briefly.

"Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet," Veronica states and Betty frowns while looking towards the other female briefly and then up at Juggie with a shrug, whose only got an eyebrow arched. She's even more surprised though when she feels Veronica grabbing her arm and whispering, asking her not to freak out, to trust her.  She has no idea what's going through Veronica's mind but before she can even ask, Veronica's mouth is on hers and _they're kissing_ and holy shit, _what_?

When they finally pull away she immediately looks towards the last spot she saw Jughead, only to see him walking out the door and she cringes a bit, knowing they'll need to talk. The next few moments fly by and Betty _knows_ she's being questioned about her sister, knows from the feeling of hair nails into her skin, from the deep breaths she's taking but it's over without any casualties, thank goodness.

She hears Veronica welcomed to the team, hears Cheryl dismiss her, and she's not surprised. She _is_ surprised though, when Veronica starts talking about a reckoning, about the two of them coming as a team, and she can't help but grin.

Veronica might be ice, she thinks, but it's an ice she can handle.

***

She looks for Jughead the moment she leaves the gym with Veronica by her side, disheartened to not see him anywhere before being pulled into the changing rooms to don her cheerleading outfit. As Veronica helps zip her back shirt up, she frowns, wondering why the woman defended her and even asks her so, listening intently to her new friends answer.

"Let's walk outside," Betty suggests, knowing there'll be a less likely chance of someone overhearing Veronica when she starts talking about her dad. She can tell immediately that Veronica appreciates it and Betty can't help but let out a small smile in return.

When they finally arrive outside, she looks for Juggie, smiling when she sees him on the bleachers but slightly annoyed to see he's not looking at her. Of course, she's not _fooled_. She knows he'll be watching her the entire time and she certainly doesn't mind that.

She doesn’t stop the small smile from forming but lets her face turn neutral when Veronica starts talking, feeling sympathetic for her friend and letting her know it.

"That's a lot of pressure," she ends up saying and she can vaguely see her Adderall prescription in her room but tries not to feel guilty. She can feel the breeze rushing through her hair and she feels like she needs to share something about herself and without any thought, she's talking about _Polly_ and _Jason,_ which is something she's only done with Jughead and _once_ and it scares her but she knows Veronica is appreciating her honesty, can feel it _somehow_.

She finishes her own statements, even mentioning her mother, feeling super proud of herself before her thoughts turn to that of confusion when Veronica shouts for Archie. She can feel herself frowning as Archie jogs over to them, wondering what Veronica thinks she's doing before a wave of frustration runs through her when Veronica brings up slaying dragons and school dances and Betty wanting to ask Archie something.

She _doesn't_ want to ask Archie anything. She wants to leave, and spend some time with her boyfriend and _maybe_ tell Archie she's dating his best friend but ask him to the dance? Why did Veronica think that?

Eventually, when she's done glaring at Veronica – or at least, making a face to her – she turns towards Archie and stumbles out how she's wondering if he wants to go. With her – and _Veronica_ since she got her into this mess. She can tell instantly that both Archie and Veronica are surprised, and she rolls with it. She's always suspected that Archie knew about her now non-existent feelings, so it's nice to have one up on him.

"It's your first dance at Riverdale," she explains with a smile before continuing onwards, "You should have someone to go with, even if it's just a friend," she explains before looking towards Archie as he explains that he's not really in the headspace for a dance.

She finds herself slightly annoyed at that but before she can even think about it, Veronica is calling him Archiekins, asking for an escort and somehow getting her friend to agree. She's going to have to find a way out of the dance early though, since she had plans with Jughead and god, she can only hope he's okay.

***

The music is pounding in her room and she's not one bit surprised to see Juggie watching her from her bed. She doesn't help the laugh that escapes her as she twirls over to him and hugs him quickly before wiggling her eyebrows. She's thrilled when he eventually laughs and she can't help but join him, laying down next to him.

"So, wanna talk about it?" She asks and she watches as Jughead looks at her.

"It was weird, seeing my girlfriend get kissed by another girl."

"It was weird getting kissed by someone that wasn't you." She states and she grins when Juggie chuckles and shrugs. The music continues to play in the background as Jughead stares at her and she stares back, and they remain silent for a few moments before he eventually sighs.

"You were frustrated when Veronica brought up the dance," he states and Betty has to blink in confusion because she thought he had left by then, had disappeared from the bleachers. She can tell by his grin that he knows what she's thinking and _honestly_ , she just wants to get rid of that smirk.

"You did a really nice move there though, inviting Veronica," he adds and Betty giggles, leaning forward and placing her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry our plans have to get moved around," she says quietly a little while later, trying not to fall asleep as Jughead plays with her hair.

"It's okay. It just means I'll have to sneak in later on," he responds and she knows he's smirking, can feel it in her skin and it does nothing to stop the grin from appearing on her face.

"You just like sneaking in and pretending to be bad," she snorts as Jughead chuckles and rolls them over so they're side by side and facing one another.

"I just like spending time with _you_ ," he admits quietly and Betty can feel her smile softening as she kisses him gently.

"Good," she whispers, closing her eyes briefly with a sigh. They don't fall asleep – can't afford to with her Mom still upset with her about going to the dance in the first place and making the cheerleading team,  and the dance itself to prepare for – all on the first day back, too,  but the time they do spend together is wonderful and something they both needed for the night.

***

"I'll see you later," Jughead whispers, bag in his arm and headphones around his neck.

"Bring me back a milkshake from Pops?" She asks with a smile and Jughead nods, kissing the top of her forehead before looking down at her dress.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he states, having been in the washroom when she changed. She blushes and blows him a kiss, and he grins, waving goodbye while she giggles, twirling once more.

* * *

 

They enter the gymnasium together and Betty can't help but look around in awe and then slight discomfort when she notices all of the reminders of Jason Blossom.  She finds herself asking Archie about football, trying to be a good friend, and smiling when Veronica begins to talk about labels and being all things at once, before feeling awkward when the fellow female whispers she has this.

She pulls him onto the dance floor, fixing his tie before being ditched for _someone_ else, though she doesn't know who. She's a little disappointed, since she knows she could have been with Juggie instead and decides to go text him before she's pulled to the side by Kevin.

She lets out a little giggle as Kevin keeps talking about Moose, unable to really believe what he's saying but knowing that Kevin wouldn't lie – not about this, at least.  She makes a face before cringing and giggling, shaking her hea.

"That's…" she states, making _another_ face before looking at Kevin briefly.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Be propositioned, I s'pose," Kevin states as Betty laughs, pulling him towards the stage when Cheryl begins to talk, briefly noticing Kevin looking at Moose, checking him over. When she manages to lose Kevin though, she can't help noticing Archie coming back from the direction of Miss. Grundy.

"Wanna dance?"

"Yeah," she states while wrapping her hands loosely around Archie's neck, asking him how everything went, listening patiently. They remain quiet for a few moments, dancing to the music and she can't help but think this might be a good time to come clean about her old feelings, and how they changed, and why they changed. She briefly notices Veronica and Kevin urging her, but for all the wrong reasons, and she looks back towards her friend.

"So, now that I'm a River Vixen, and you're going to be on Varsity Football…" She begins, trailing off, "I know a lot of people are going to have this fantasy of us as a power couple. Or maybe even just a couple." She states, her heart pounding.  This is it, she thinks. She's finally going to tell him the truth but she hears her name from his lips and frowns at the look on his face.

"Which, last year, wouldn't be so impossible for me to imagine, but now…" she begins, interrupting whatever Archie was going to say, noticing he frowns in return and pulls away from her as the song ends. She looks away, feeling as though something got lost in translation, though what she has no idea.

She feels her phone vibrating inside of her purse and without a second thought, walks away from a very baffled Archie and towards somewhere more private, where she grins once she takes out her phone and reads Juggie's text.

 _Juggie: Make sure you don't have too much fun. We both know what you're like when you really get dancing_.

_Betty: Absolutely insane, right? Trust me, I won't. I'll see you soon. Cannot wait to get out of here._

_Juggie: I'm sure it's not **that** bad. And in any case, it'll be you, me and a plate of Pops' best soon._

She's about to send another text, grin still on her face when Veronica sidles up to her.

"So, we've been invited to Cheryl's after-party," She states and Betty can only look at her new friend in confusion before shrugging.

"I have my own after-party to go to," She answers before she sees Cheryl's best friends come up.

"The after-party is mandatory for all River Vixens," they state in a robotic voice, freaking Betty out for a moment before her heart drops and she looks at her cell phone.

_Betty: Looks like l will be a little later than I thought. I have to make a mandatory appearance at Cheryl's after party._

_Juggie: Shame. Here I was, putting on my best clothes for you._

_Betty: Ha! I will see you shortly after our planned time._

_Juggie: It's a date ;)_

She smiles before moving her arms in a 'lead the way motion', wondering what could possibly go wrong next.

* * *

 

She's sitting at the end of the couch, Veronica next to her and she can't help but sigh when they look towards one another, feeling bored already as Cheryl explains they're playing seven minutes in heaven. She has a feeling this is so going to end bad and she isn't surprised when the red-headed twin suggests Archie goes first. She's not even surprised when people are seconding it, nor is she surprised when it lands on Veronica.

Her heart is normal in her chest, though she's slightly confused when Veronica looks at her and Archie looks at her. She knows this is just drama, but –

This really is her life, supposedly, as the two of them enter the closet with little resistance from Veronica at first. They're in the closet for only a few moments when she hears her phone vibrating and she pulls it out.

_Juggie: Why don't you leave the party early?_

She knows if she leaves now, everyone will think it's because Veronica went in there with Archie, and she literally does not care. Everyone's watching her though and with a sigh of frustration, she gets up and leaves, knowing everyone will think she's weak or _something_.

 _Betty: I just did. Definitely not worth my time. Heading over to my place now to change. Be there as soon as I can be_.

The text is quick and with a small smile at ending this night _right_ , she does indeed, head to her place.

* * *

 

By the time she arrives to her house, she's thankful her parents are asleep and heads up to her room as quietly as she can. She ends up jumping, startled when her phone rings before answering it.

"Juggie," she whispers into the speaker,  waiting for her mom or dad to pop out before sighing.

"How was your night?" She hears and she lets out a sound that she knows even has him confused.

"Frustrating. I tried telling Archie that I had feelings for him but then grew feelings for you." She states and she waits patiently, wondering what Juggie has to say about it.

"And did he not understand?" Jughead finally questions and even though he can't see her, all she can do is sigh and shrug.

"Well, I started off saying that a lot of people might imagine us as a power couple because of our current social standings, and how last year, I could have easily imagined thinking the same thing. When I added,  but now, Archie pulled away and wouldn't let me finish." She sighs, a frown on her own face before continuing.

"And then of course, Cheryl invites us all to her after-party and suggests seven minutes in heaven, making Archie play first. It lands on Veronica, no surprise, and everyone is looking at me like I should be heartbroken?"

"Forsyth" She groans when she hears him chuckling, a pout forming on her face even though he can't see her this moment.

"Sorry. It's just. You all frustrated is kind of cute.  And you have to remember, no one knows you're over Archie yet. We pretty much kept our dates to Pops, our bedrooms or somewhere near your internship. It will take a while for people to see it." He says and she calms down relatively fast, sighing as she figures out what to wear when she goes to meet up with Juggie.

"Well, look, I'm going to go shower—"

"Shame I couldn't join ya,"

"And then," she interrupts, laughing, knowing he doesn't mean it just _yet_ , "I'm going to change in something more comfortable and then meet you at Pops, alright?"

"That's fine by me. And hey, if it helps – you have every reason to be frustrated. I'd be frustrated too, if no one understood what I was trying to say and assuming their own things." Jughead finishes before hanging up and Betty smiles, making her way to the shower.

* * *

 

She opens her door, blinking in surprise when she notices Archie walking up her pathway. She frowns noticing as he opens and closes his mouth. She's already late for meeting up with Juggie, considers herself annoyingly late, really, with everything that happened at the after-party, and she can't help but sigh softly.

"I'm not going to ask what you did with Veronica at Cheryl's," she states, sounding stronger than she ever thought possible. She knows Archie bumped into Jughead at pops, knows that for some reason, Archie is afraid of losing her – and _really_ – she thinks, internally shrugging.

"I'm asking you now, right now, if you think I love you, Archie," she says, interested in his reply. She's not surprised that he looks down before walking towards her.

"Don't you? Isn't that what you were going to say tonight?" He says and she can tell there's pain in his voice and it makes her smile sadly.

"Of course I love you, Archie." She whispers, looking away. "But it wasn't until the summer that I realized I wasn't _in_ love with you. If this had been last year---"

"I wouldn't have been able to give you the answer you would have wanted."

"Why?" She asks, needing to know.

"You are so perfect," he says and she can't help the scoff that escapes her while she looks at him in confusion.

"I've never been good enough for you," he says and even though she hates it, she finds herself tearing up, unable to believe her best friend would think that.

"I'll never _be_ good enough for you," He finishes and she sighs, nodding her head a few times.

"This summer, I met someone," she says as her frown turns into a smile, brightening her face up, causing the young man to blink in surprise.

"He makes me happy, Arch," she adds and he nods, opening and closing his mouth, not knowing what to say. They remain like that for a few moments before Betty sighs.

"I'm meeting him right now, so I have to go." She says and Archie nods, letting her walk past him.

"Betty?" He says and she turns around slightly, looking at him in confusion.

"I'm going to need a few days. To---" She nods with a sad smile on her face as she walks away, having expected nothing less from her best friend.

* * *

 

When she finally sits across from Jughead at Pops', he looks up from his laptop, frowning immediately as his hand goes to her cheeks and caresses it softly.

"Are you okay?" He asks gently and Betty finds herself nodding before telling Juggie everything that had just happened, thankful that he sits there and listens to her patiently, which is exactly what she needed. It takes a good amount of time for everything to be shared when Pops eventually brings them their food – burgers, hot dogs, onion rings, fries and milkshakes – but Betty gets it all out there, letting Jughead interrupt whenever he needs to, even if it's to steal some of her food.

When she's finally done telling him everything though, she watches as he wipes his mouth with a napkin and tilts his head.

"Why does _he_ need a few days?" Is his eventual question and Betty can't help but giggle in her response, the same thing having briefly gone through her mind. She shrugs in response after a few moments, stealing one of the pickles off of Jughead's burger, causing him to frown briefly and steal a fry, but they both know neither mind.

"I think—" She begins slowly as numerous thoughts go through her mind. She needs to settle them down, and she takes a sip of her milkshake before continuing, "I think he always thought I would be in love with him," she finishes with a frown as Jughead looks up at her from his onion rings and grabs her hand.

"I'm so glad you're no longer in love with him," he says sincerely, a smile on his face as Betty grins, leaning forward to kiss him lightly.

* * *

 

_"And so, it was only one heart that broke that night, though it wasn't meant to. And the night was far from over. By morning, everyone would be talking, texting and posting about it. We'd all be feeling it. That the world around us had changed. Maybe forever. That Riverdale wasn't the same town as before. That it was a town of shadows and secrets now."_

**Author's Note:**

> So... this has been in progress since I saw the second episode, and the way Jughead looked at Betty. That did not seem 'broship' at all, and I wondered what would happen if they were in a relationship before the school year started. Boom, this was born and I'm super excited to bring it to you guys. There will be one story in correspondence to each episode, unless said story get too long and I have to break it up into chapters. Seeing as this was 7000+ words, alone, it's a possibility. If you want to talk bughead with me, you can find me on tumblr @ juggycooper <3


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